M. R. Venkatesh passed Chartered Accountancy in 1992 with an all India Ranking and was in active practice from 1993 till 2018 as partner of GSV Associates, Chartered Accountants, Chennai.

M. R. Venkatesh has authored A Handbook on Anti-dumping, which was released by the former Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. He has authored a monograph on Capital Account Convertibility, which was published in July 2006 as well as one on inflation, which was published in 2007.

M. R. Venkatesh has authored a book titled Global Imbalances and the impending Dollar crisis, which was published in September 2007 in Chennai.

M. R. Venkatesh has also authored a detailed report on the farm sector in India in the context of ongoing Doha Round of negotiations and the aegis of WTO. He is a visiting faculty in various professional institutions, Chambers of Commerce and Universities.

M. R. Venkatesh has authored a book titled "Dr. Manmohan Singh - A DECADE OF DECAY" in 2013. The book demystifies the challenges confronting India and Indian economy in the last one decade. The foreword of this book has been authored by Dr. Subramanian Swamy.